Forever in Our Hearts-Our One and Only, We Miss You

This piece I write, is to remember a special lady, and is a platform to revive the old memories we have of her. This piece I write, is not something to exaggerate her strength, or undermine her fears.

She was my aunt, almost like a mother to me. She was joyful, kind, always smiling and was never the one to give up. She was a sister to my father, a daughter to my grandmother, a wife to my dear uncle, a mother to my favorite people of all times. She was my Didi Umeeta, who dedicated her life to make life meaningful for her children and husband. She was one to value every breath of life, and one who always advised me that education is the most powerful tool in the world.

As a child, my grandma told me, she was vivacious, lovable and obedient. She loved her parents and siblings and was always much loved, being the youngest of the three. As a good daughter, she would dotingly call my grandma many times a day, no matter how packed her schedule was, just to say “hi, mom!”, buy that round filling-less bread from BreadTalk my grandma loves and buy slippers for her. Her cakes, oh don’t get me started, her cakes are the reasons to failed diets. Whenever we found out she was baking, we would have a small lunch portion to allow some gobbling during tea time ☺

As a mother and my aunt, she would take us out for dinners, lunches, playlands, shopping and more. I remember my trip to India with her, where she preferred to sit in Starbucks the whole transit, but ended up roaming around with me to satisfy the 12-year-old’s desire to see the whole of Changi. As a much chubbier me, she would give me dresses to try and when they didn’t fit, she would tell me to keep it for “next time”… Guess what, as I am writing this, I am wearing one of her dresses she passed me ☺

Nope, none of the above would justify her as a human being enough.

When we found out that something inside her was damaging her, our hearts broke. She was young, all of 40 years old with her whole life ahead of her. She didn’t deserve to be going so fast… but she was, slowly and slowly….

2 years. It took her 2 long years to finally receive her peace and solace. Unbelievable pain, mental trauma and worry for her family above her trial towards triumph.

It brings a smile on my face to remember that during those 2 years, not one moment she complained about her health, not one moment she blamed God, not one second she wished this illness on somebody else. She got through all of it with a smile on her face, prayers, positivity, courage and faith that everything would be ok. She was one of the bravest people I knew, who handled this ordeal of life with such braveness.

We celebrated her last Christmas in the comfort of her house, with gifts, Santa and children. She looked healthy and happy as ever. A few days later, she was back where she needed to be, under the hands of a doctor…

My birthday. 20th January 2012, she took her last breath under life support. I was one of the few lucky ones who got to say goodbye, and I whispered my promise into her ears, which only she and I know of ☺ The day I celebrated the beginning of my life, was the day we celebrated the end of her tough ordeal, something she didn’t deserve to live with…

We miss her and we wished she was still between us today, happy, healthy and still baking. But her departure was not seen as a battle we had lost, it was a battle she had won, finally won, and deservingly won…

You all will be happy to know that her baking lives on, in the form of her blessed daughter, my sister Neelu, who bakes as good as her mom did. I am so proud of her today, who kept her mom’s dream alive, simply by being as talented as her mom was… And we still get super hungry when we hear Neelu is baking ☺

Forever in our hearts you will be, Di…we love you

Ways to Make Your Life More Meaningful

Okay, before we get in too deep, let me first clarify that I am not a 70-year-old philosopher who has lived life fruitfully. Neither am i a certified self-help speaker who gives books a run for their money. I am your typical 24-year-old who turns the couch pillow when I spill ice-cream or pesto sauce. But, I have recently found ways to make me smile wider and thank more, as compared to the grouchy lil one complaining for every little mishap, as little as the lost wi-fi connection.

So below are few ways I found interesting to add lil happiness into our otherwise dull life (sometimes!). Not necessarily in the following order:

1. Get a job you love
Simple tip, yet so helpful. I have always been lucky enough with my jobs, job title and job description. But I know people who often complain and they wake up every day ruing about the fact that they have to go to work. I mean, you work at least 5 times a week, 8 hours a day. That's more time you spend at home, isn't it? Life's too long to be stuck in the wrong job. Be brave enough and hand in that resignation. PS: first find out what you actually love before suing me for being jobless :p




2. Spend time with children
I work in a school and children are my daily routine. I find that their innocence are irreplaceable and they somehow have a way to win your heart. I have also have my young cousins, aged 7, 5 and 4 who are siblings. You can imagine my babysitting sessions once a week!


3. Spare (and value!) quality time with our folks
Most of us go out with our folks because "we were asked to come along". So wrong. Our parents, yes, they do have their ways at times, but when you find time to listen, you find ways where you find youself to be so similar to them. Ways you could never value if you didn't know them.


4. do some charity
My Sincere Hearts partner, Ekta Melwani and the rest of my crew are sweethearts! They have helped make this dream of ours come true. I find that this point brings out the gratefulness in you, and a certain feeling of satisfaction to your life, knowing that you made at least someone smile today. Not much money to spare? Donate blood to PMI. Health conditions don't support? donate some energy just by helping out :)


5. Click more photos
May they be the duckface, goofy face, pretty face or with your friends, family, special someone or a selfie, photos are fun! No explanation required, I believe?





6. find people who you truly laugh with
Life is way too complicating to be with people who make it even more so. Let go of people who burden you and stick around those who give you tummy aches from laughing.



7. pamper yourself
For you who overthink before spending time or money, ITS OKAY! its okay to get that expensive manicure, its okay to buy more than just one pair of shoes, its okay to facebook endlessly, its okay to have a little more french fries, its okay to lick that cream cheese of the red velvet, its okay! AS LONG AS you keep it under control. SOMETIMES is the key word. Also, spend more time doing what you love, may they be dancing, singing or the like.



Following the above have made me a little happier and I hope you find them helpful too!!!
Much love

21st century shopping? Friend or Foe?

At the risk of sounding completely random, I'm here to share my "sorrows" on being a 21st century shopper. Drama queen much? Anyway, gone are the days when we absolutely have to get our butts off the couch when we need to buy a certain something, may they be clothes, accessories, make-up or shoes! The internet has opened doors to many things, including empty wallets. ugh. Anyway, here is my side of the story. I love to shop! Clothes are okay for me, I dont buy much bags but oh my god shoes. I love shoes. Ok I'm side-tracking. Saturdays would be my day of shopping, after a long week of campus and studying. Towards the end of the month, when I simply cannot afford to go more shopping, I spend my day watching TV at home, or go to a friend's house to chill, or head to the cinema for a "friendly-for-the-wallet" entertainment :p :p. It's literally that simple. But lo and behold, my fellow shopaholics. welcome to the 21st century, where the digital gap is closing down and we are, in a way, to say the least, screwed. If we do not head to the malls, the malls are literally coming to us in the comfort of our houses. And they are so comfortable. Choose, pay and wait for it to come in a few days. We dont have to go to the ATM to conduct payments. Say "Ola" to mobile banking! Aduh ribet deh! There is no such thing as not shopping anymore now, isn't it? If not the mall, its shopping sites. If we avoid shopping sites, our buddies in Facebook are also turning to salespeople. And the are so convenient, we can't help but to try it. So now what? Do we thank Bill Gates-esque individuals who have made the world so much easier? Or do we curse the fact that our shopping budgets are getting thinner and thinner as the technology advances? I'm off, lads, I think I like that pair of shoes on my friend's Sale album. Ciao!

Are You in Charge of Your Own Happiness?

English Vinglish is by far one of the best movies made this year and coming out from the cinema, it got me thinking...a lot...Have you ever realized how incompetent you are in a certain field? Have you ever felt so flawed that you shy away from yourself? Have you looked in a mirror and wished for a better version of yourself? You'd by lying if you said you haven't. Looking back at the past years, I realized I grew up with a lot of insecurities. Better looking friends, skinnier relatives, lesser grades compared to my classmates and so on. I was miserable, up to a certain extent. But you know whose fault was it? It was my very own. I was so busy looking up at others and forgot to take charge of my own happiness. I'm way past all that now and have learnt to be a happier person and for those of you who are still there, read on! :) Happiness is only defined by you and you alone. Remember, you are good at heart and your flaws, no matter what they may be, make you an even more wonderful individual. Be sincere and hold on tight to what you believe in, because like it or not, you are in charge of your own happiness. The world is sometimes a cruel place and what you do may not be pleased by everyone out there, but it does not mean that they can make you feel inferior. Live your life at ease and cherish the small things in life. When you learn to do that, the old life you are living now will feel unbelievable strange, in a good way, because the world as you see it, is from a whole new perspective. I know, I know, some of you may be thinking, "easier said than done!". Oh I agree, but we certainly must try. Remember, no body can make you feel inferior without your consent. Take charge and BE HAPPY!!! You are loved. For at least one person, you are their world.

The Power of Marketing

Let’s retrospect for a bit, shall we? How many of us have seen an ad, and instantly thought, “I gotta have one of those!” I can proudly announce I am a proud victim of marketing forces. You name it, I’ve tried it. From haircare products, skincare products, supplements to the quite recent iTouch.
Let’s face it. We rarely (not never, just rarely) buy items because they have excellent features. We buy the items because we have been INFLUENCED. It could be by an ad, by a neighbor, by social pressure or even the awesome specifications sheet because you liked the grain of the paper.

Mac product owners, lets high five! You and I are both proud victims of the marketing forces pulled by the famous Apple. Most of you have an iPad now, claiming that you purchased it due to “the need to stay in touch”, “its excellent features”, “convenience” and so on and so forth. I’m not denying it has awesome features but hey, Bill Gates talked about the invention of tablet PC’s in 2001. Did anyone give a damn? I don’t think so. And did you know there is an excellent tablet PC found by a friend of mine in China, which has features, quite close to iPads? Granted, when you hear “China” you mostly think “fake” but it all comes down to marketing, doesn’t it?

I admire the late Steve Jobs and his tactical marketing strategies and he has definitely brought Apple to its position today. Salute to u,Mr!
The power of marketing has such powerful forces that when you don’t think quite clearly, you get stuck in its prophecies and it almost feels degrading to leave. Be careful, we’re talking about non-vital stuffs. Of course owning it is not necessary. Of course it will not dramatically change your life. But when you eat an ice cream, do you think of the proteins that will enhance your body? You don't, it just feels nice eating it at that specific moment in your life!

So, a good suggestion from me, as a marketing graduate, to all of you is that, think smart and shop smart. Moreover, do your research! Good ads don’t necessarily come with good products. The other way around works too. Rely on advertising for information, not decision. Cheers

How to Excel at Small Talks

Imagine this. You’re walking in a mall alone, shopping. You meet a really old friend and go “HIII ITS BEEN SO LONG!” and she says “I KNOW RIGHT! HOW ARE YOU?” and you go “GOOD AND YOU?” and she says “GOOD TOO, THANKS!” and then ……………………….. *awkward*
Small talks are never easy. I am a proud victim of super awkward moments and have learnt to cope up with weird situations as such. Well, not completely, but much better than the dorky kid staring at her toes. Here are what you can do to save socially-awkward moments:
1. Ask them how have they been, and mean it! Ask where have they studied, where are they working, how are their relatives, and so on. Don’t ask overly personal questions such as “are you single?” unless you want to known as a creepy nosy-body all your life.
2. Talk about yourself. Share about your education, working life, pretty much similar as the above. Be considerate, don’t go on and on about yourself. You may sound like a self-centered person.
3. Find something in common to talk about. For example, if she happens to mention similar interest as you, dig deeper. You never know, you might find out a common interest to talk about ;)
4. If you are with company, introduce that person to your old friend. They might save you a teensy bit from the awkwardness 
5. Be genuine. You don’t have to give them a huge tight hug if you aren’t up for it. You don’t have to compliment her bag if you don’t like it.
6. Compliment them! Say something nice about the person’s weight loss, newly done hair, new family or anything you can find. Remember, be genuine!
7. Still awkward? Time to move on! Tell them it was a pleasure to have met them, exchange contact numbers and respectfully leave. Guess what? You still have your self-respect! ;)

Try them out and you will see how easy and pleasant it is to meet old acquaintances!

How To Make Your Customers Happy

So, as newly-employed individual, I have realized that keeping our customers happy and satisfied with the service we provide is a crucial determinant to ensure you stay on the job for more than a couple months! Where we work will differ from one person to another, but wherever it is, we are bound to make em happy, aren't we? For example, if you work in a travel agent, your customers should be satisfied. I work in a school in the English department and event coordinator, so parents need to see that I am doing my best. Anyway, here are some tips from my personal hands-on experience with the "customers"

1. When handling a complaint, ensure you understand the problem and handle it with meticulousness. Be diplomatic and sure. Always make the customers aware that we are on their side and want to work things out according to their desires.

2. SMILE. This is so simple yet easily forgettable. Try not to panic, keep calm and look cheery while listening to them. No one can ever shout to an amicable person. Trust me on this :p

3.Be patient. If you lose your temper, imagine your customers! If you cannot understand what they want, slowly muster the courage to ask what can you do to make sure they have what they need.

4. Don't be afraid to consult your boss/employer. They will have more experience in this and providing they are as nice as my bosses, they will be more than happy to help you!

5. Never promise something you feel is not possible. There is nothing worst than having promised your customer something and not being able to fulfill them.


I'll end here to keep it simple, but follow the above tips and you are sure to plaster smiles on your customers' faces! Good luck!